


The Game is Afoot

by jehall2



Series: Trust No One [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Bucky needs a hug, M/M, Not Natasha Friendly, Not Steve Friendly, Steve is Creepy, Tony Doesn't Want a Hug Steve!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:21:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jehall2/pseuds/jehall2
Summary: It's hard to win the game when you don't know exactly who's playing.  But Tony is sure that the stakes are high.
Series: Trust No One [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611712
Comments: 18
Kudos: 153





	1. A New Player

Rogers had been gone for a little over a week now . . . and the whole world was falling apart.

“So, can you just explain where we stand at the moment,” Everett Ross asked, massaging his temple. The young CIA agent looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

“From the top, sir?”

“Yes. Give me everything.”

He was staring at a smart board filled with notes, trying to makes any kind of sense of recent events. There must be a patter.

“Captain America and the Winter Soldier escaped after Lepzeig,” he began. 

“Back track. Black Widow let the pair of them go—so that moves her position,” Ross said. “Also, we have Agent Carter providing Rogers and Wilson with their gear leading up to the fight,” he added, jotting down notes.

“Yes, sir. Then Rogers and the Soldier escape. Tony Stark visits the Raft where the other Avengers are being held until trial, and gets some kind of information from Falcon before disappearing.”

“Stark is a question mark. Go on.”

“King T’Challa of Wakanda brought back the new suspect for the Vienna bombing—a Zemo?”

“Why did you have Zemo,” Ross whispered. “Where do you fit, and where does Zemo fit?”

“The Vision has disappeared.”

“Question mark.”

“Colonel Rhodes is out, perhaps indefinitely, with injury,” he cringed, and Ross sighed. 

“That’s the most tragic part of this whole debacle,” Ross said, shaking his head. Not enough people gave Rhodes credit for it, seeing him mostly as an extension of Stark, but he was a decorated soldier, a military strategist with real-world battle experience, and a head so level that he could pull Tony Stark back from his most dangerous ideas . . . usually. That was something the Avengers sorely needed.

“Sir, there’s one other thing,” the agent said, looking nervous.

“Please don’t tell me it’s more bad news,” Ross sighed.

He turned to face the agent more directly.

“Zemo’s missing.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s disappeared from his cell,” the agent said, barely avoiding cringing as he watched Director Ross’s face get progressively more blank.  
**  
“You wanted to see me, darling,” Loki said, with a languid smile from where he was reclining on Bucky’s bed.


	2. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The return of Zemo . . . and Loki.

“You wanted to see me, darling,” Loki asked from where he lounged on Bucky’s bed.

Bucky rubbed at his forehead, feeling a headache building. Loki came and went as he pleased. And it was never when Bucky actually wanted him.

“I would have liked to see you, oh, about a month back before Stevie could get his claws into me,” Bucky sighed.

“Oh, come now. Where’s the fun in that? I thought you’d like the challenge,” Loki pouted.

“Stevie’s not a challenge; he’s a natural disaster. Better to fight a tsunami.”

“Well, you’re the one who chose to run and hide after the fall of that ridiculous organization. What was it called? Veil?”

“It’s SHIELD, you ass. And now there’s nothing holding Stevie back.”

“Darling, SHIELD wasn’t holding your Captain back with people like the blind Hawkeye and the Mewling Quim,” Loki laughed. “They lacked the resources to be a threat, and they chained the only real threat whenever possible for money. So very human—shortsighted,” he sighed.

“Yeah, well, I thought you were playing the long game? That’s why you kept me safe from that petty bitch.”

“Ha! Lovely word play. Nothing like a good rhyme, but she’s a witch, darling.”

Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Whatever she is, it’s nothing I want anywhere near me. WHY did you let Stevie get Stark,” Bucky yelled. “He was the only one making any sort of preparations for what’s coming. Stevie sure ain’t thinking about it.”

Loki eyed him.

“You haven’t figured it out, then? I thought better of you, James. At least as it concerned the good Captain.”

Bucky leaned back against the wall and gave the Asgardian God a questioning look.

“Figured out what?”

“Why do you think I so love chaos, darling,” Loki asked, seemingly off-topic as he glanced at this nails.

“Well, because you’re a twisted bastard? Was there some other reason,” Bucky sighed, tired of it all. Strategy really just gave him a headache. He was a murderbot who followed order for about 60 years . . . until Zemo (cough—Loki—cough) began moving up the ranks of Hydra in leaps and bounds. Yes, the god had freed his mind, but there was always a cost. He’d just traded Stevie for Loki—and he couldn’t really say which was better or worse.

“Chop off one head,” Loki began.

“Oh, please . . . NO . . . not that STUPID catchphrase,” Bucky groaned dramatically.

“And another will rise from the ashes to take its place,” Loki sing-songed, rising from the bed and walking over to drape his arm around Bucky’s shoulder.

“So,” Bucky asked, not bothering to pull away. Loki did what he wanted. That’s just the way things were.

“I’m disappointed, darling. It’s what people like your Captain (he’s not MY Captain, Bucky muttered) and I do. We rise from the ashes. It’s what chaos is good for after all.”

“Why move on Stark, then,” Bucky asked.

“Oh, him,” Loki said dismissively and walking towards the door to the barracks. “He’s not about chaos. He’s all about progress. What fun is that! And it makes him the only real threat to the Titan, who is counting on the complete ineptitude of the Midgardian race.”

“Lokes, please,” Bucky sighed.

“Alright, darling,” Loki said, looking over his shoulder at Bucky. “Your Captain hasn’t considered what to do about Stark’s greatest fear because he has no intention of fighting the Titan.”

“WHAT!”

“James, please don’t be dull. The Captain has no other goal than to rise. What beautiful chaos the Titan will wreak upon this Universe. And with the futurist under his thumb, there will be nothing to stop the Titan . . . or what comes after.”

"Then why did you set Stark up like that," Bucky asked skeptically.

"Oh, he owed me a drink," Loki grinned. "And my drink of choice is pain. Other people's that is," he laughed.

"So, you're on Stevie's side now," Bucky huffed, crossing his arms.

"Oh, James. That would be telling. The real question is, what will you do." Loki shifted, appearing as the less memorable Zemo, and strutted out of the barracks.

"Well, fuck," Bucky sighed. "I guess this is the end of the line."


End file.
